


You Cannot Go This Way

by DeeNomilk



Series: Tashok the Dragonborn [27]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Morthal (Elder Scrolls), attempts at worldbuilding, slice of life with side quests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26151181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeeNomilk/pseuds/DeeNomilk
Summary: Tashok's on her way back home from Winterhold, but unfortunately the civil war puts a wrench in her travel plans.
Series: Tashok the Dragonborn [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1272734
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm very sorry about the slow updates... My head was in a "no thoughts head empty" kind of setting.

The group had opted to stop by Langley’s home at the behest of Inigo on their way towards Morthal. Langley had done his best to hide his sneer at the sight of a panoply of children, but despite this had done his best to be hospitable. He’d even told Tashok about a few visions he’d had regarding her, of all people.

Tashok’s heart had skipped a beat when she heard him and Inigo discussing Inigo living here when he wasn’t with Tashok, but she quickly admonished herself. Inigo is his own person, and it’s selfish to assume he would want to spend all his free time with her.

Besides, him having more options is a good thing. As he said himself, it would be better than Riften’s prisons.

“You seem lost in your thoughts…” Falion’s voice resonates from beside her, drawing her out of her reverie.

“Mh? Oh! Yes… Sorry.” she looks to her friend sheepishly. He had asked her how her trip went, and as she answered her mind wandered to the Seer.

“Don’t be.” Falion chuckles. “I’m sure the journey must’ve been long.”

“A bit… I have to say travelling with children tends to slow things down. They can’t travel as fast or as long as my friends and I.”

Indeed, taking her children’s lower endurance into account greatly influenced the speed of their travel. Even with the carriage they had hired, the trip was tiring and long for them.

“Can you blame them?” Falion nods to her children, who are currently playing a game of tag with Agni, and smiles fondly. “What with their little legs and all…”

This elicits a proper laugh out of Tashok.

“I hope your journey went well, still.” Falion steers them back onto the previous conversation.

“We encountered some would-be highway men, but they did not stand a chance.” Inigo supplies. He lets out a low chuckle. “They scattered like frightened rats once they saw the bows Tash and I carried.”

“Mh… Yes. Weapons do tend to carry a certain air of intimidation.” Falion nods. “Perhaps I should start strapping a sword to my belt. I can’t use it but it would save me the trouble of having to scare away ruffians by threatening them with magic.”

“You get a lot of trouble?” Tashok asks, her brows furrowing in concern.

“No, no… Not very often at least. Don’t you worry.”

“Did you forget who you’re talking to?” Tashok jests. “I’m not sure what not worrying feels like, if I’m honest.”

“I can attest to that.” Inigo smirks. “You need to learn how to relax my friend.”

“I know…” Tashok agrees. “Easier said than done, though.”

Falion chuckles and mumbles something along the lines of “you can say that again”, before growing pensive.

“Well, perhaps I can be of assistance.” he says. “I know a thing or two about the stresses of being a parent, and some ways to help manage my worries. Granted, I only have one child to care for. I don’t know how you can handle all of them…”

“They’re not exactly hard to care for.” Tashok says. This is true, she believes she’s well and truly blessed that her children all have agreeable temperaments, and that they get along with each other.“But I won’t say no to advice.”

“Right, well, what makes you happy? What do you enjoy doing?”

“Let me think… I like… Alchemy…”

Falion huffs out a short laugh. 

“Allow me to rephrase the question: what do you like to do that isn’t work?”

Tashok barely resists pouting, hoping to seem a bit more mature in front of the older man.

“I like cooking and baking.” she shrugs. “It’s for fun!” she adds when she sees Falion about to protest. “But I do like other things… I like taking care of my garden… And caring for my children?”

“Tashok…” Falion admonishes as Inigo snorts. “Anything else? Anything that’s purely for fun and not something that could be seen as working.”

Tashok hums as she brings a finger to her chin, thinking.

“I guess I do like music a lot…” she finally says.

“Do you play anything, or sing?” Falion cocks his head curiously.

“Erm… I guess?”

“You… Guess? Guess what?”

“I mean, I can play the flute okay… My brother was starting to teach me the mandolin. I sing too, sometimes, but I’m not that good. My voice tends to squeak a lot.”

This trait isn’t unique to her signing voice, but it is noticeable when she tries to keep a note for too long.

“I’m sure you’re better than you’re giving yourself credit for, considering your usual way of describing your skills.” Falion smirks.

“From the few glimpses I’ve heard, that holds true.” Inigo says. “She hums a lot when she works, you see.”

“Anyways…” Tashok coughs, embarrassed. “I like listening to music a lot more than I like making it…”

“So you truly meant it when you said you liked my singing?” Inigo’s ears perk up happily.

“Why else would I ask you to sing more?” Tashok says in not-quite a chuckle.

“Point taken.” Inigo returns her smile.

“I can’t believe I’m going to suggest this but…” Falion takes a deep breath. “Why don’t we go to the inn later? Ask Lurbuk to play us something… I might be able to convince him to let us sing instead.”

Inigo’s hairs stand up on on his spine at the prospect, yet Tashok visibly brightens.

“I’d love to!” she smiles. “I wonder how his new song is going…”

“You’re going to ask him to sing, aren’t you…” Inigo notes with a small bit of dread.

“Oh please, he’s not that bad!”

Tashok stifles a laugh at Inigo’s expression of disbelief.

“I’ve heard worst than him…” she adds. “Besides, his energy is just so contagious! It’s like I want to smile whenever I’m around him.”

“I suppose as long as it makes you happy…” Inigo concedes.

Their conversation is cut short as Ma’isha comes to tug at her mother’s robe, begging her to come play hide-and-seek with them. Tashok, unable to resist such a reasonable demand, waves a quick farewell to the two men and lets Ma’isha guide her to the small cluster of children.

Tashok ends up participating in the children’s games until the sun begins to set in the distance, its orange glow filtering through the marsh’s branches creating odd lined patterns on the ground. She finally manages to convince the children to follow her into the inn for supper by vouching for Jonna’s cooking. Lurbuk, as expected, is present when they enter and sends them a toothy smile as he greets them boisterously.

Tashok notes that her children immediately relax at the friendly welcome, even Lucia, who tends to be a bit more on edge with strangers. 

Poor Jonna was a bit more overwhelmed than usual, considering the sheer number of Tashok’s traveling party, but Falion quickly offered his help in serving the group.

“You’re a customer too, Fal.” Jonna tells him as she swipes the empty bowl from his hands.

“I can still help you out.” Falion huffs. “No use just standing back with my arms crossed while you rush around to serve all of us.”

“Fine, fine, why don’t you bring the bowls that are filled then… So stubborn.”

“Now who do I take that from I wonder?” Falion smirks as he takes two bowls and sets them in front of Agni and Sofie, who are deep in conversation.

“Be quiet and eat.” Jonna says fondly. 

Jonna is thankful that for now Lurbuk seems to be preoccupied with eating his own meal at a leisurely pace, meaning he won’t disturb the customers during their supper, though this is short-lived when Tashok begins to ask him about his latest song.

“Did you finish the lyrics?” she asks.

“I did! I’m still working on fitting this one verse into the song properly…” Lurbuk explains. “The cadence is a bit off. Too many words, you see…”

“Do you know any popular songs?” Sofie asks.

“Of course I do.” Lurbuk smiles. “I’m a graduate from the Bards College after all. Do you have a request, little lady?”

“Uh…” Sofie looks to her siblings for a suggestion.

“Do you…” Lucia starts but goes quiet as the bard’s attention turns to her.

“Is there a song you like, Lucia?” Tashok tries to encourage her.

Lucia leans towards Tashok and whispers a few words into her ear.

“Winter Wind?” Tashok repeats, getting a nod from Lucia.

“I can certainly sing that one, Lucia, is it?” Lurbuk goes to fetch his lute, tuning it quickly and beginning the song.

Tashok isn’t as familiar with this one as, say, Ragnar the Red, but she knows the chorus. Her daughters seem to know it by heart, however, and so she joins in at the second chorus, quietly as to not overshadow anyone else’s voice.

She of course joins in the small round of applause once the final note ends, and leans towards Inigo when he approaches her to speak.

“It is much more agreeable when there are other voices accompanying him, if you ask me.” he murmurs.

“Inigo!” Tashok admonishes without any bite to her tone. 

“Sorry.” Inigo chuckles.

His eyes flip up as he notices someone approaching them, prompting Tashok to turn around to see who’s come to see them.

“Oh, hello again Lurbuk.” she says.

“Hope I’m not interrupting.” Lurbuk takes a seat at their side. “I noticed the two of you seemed a bit more musically inclined than the usual patrons that come by Jonna’s fine establishment. Am I correct?”

“I uh… I like music, sure…” Tashok shrugs. “Inigo’s the one with talent.”

“Is that so, friend?” Lurbuk grins at Inigo. “Have you considered the Bards College? It’s where I refined my craft.”

“If we came upon it during our travels, I would not be opposed to stopping by.” Inigo looks to Tashok when he replies.

“We could always try to go visit Solitude.” Tashok suggests. “Not right now, I miss my home, and I’m sure the kids are getting tired, but, next time we come this way? I know I’d like to see if they have some ingredients imported from High Rock. Or even some more products I like. Not much gets sent all the way to Falkreath. And if it does the prices are as high as that Throat of the World mountain…”

“Simply being tourists would be a welcome change of pace.” 

“Well, tell ‘em you know me! Might get you in easier!” Lurbuk pats Inigo on the back animatedly before going back to his performance.

He breaks into a loud rendition of insert song title here, his voice booming over the sound of the lute. A Nord Tashok recognizes as a local walks into the inn, but immediately cringes, mouthing a “I’ll come ask tomorrow” to Jonna and exiting the building.

Jonna sighs at this, returning her attention to wiping down the counter while Falion makes some comment that escapes Tashok, a grin evident on his face before he chuckles.

Tashok finds herself missing her College friends, thinking back to the few times they would all go to the local inn, which is much like this one, to decompress and talk about everything and anything.

Later on she settles on fixing the sole of her boots absentmindedly, it was high time she patched it up — it had been letting the smallest bits of snow into her boot during their last day before reaching Morthal and it was less than pleasant. She cursed herself many times for forgetting to ask Tolfdir if he had a copy of the Mending spell she'd seen Mireille use time and time again. Mireille had promised to teach her, but was always busy or too tired. 

Not that Tashok blamed her. Never. Being a dock worker is grueling work and between taking care of her and her siblings as well as checking up on the other workers' children, she was a busy Breton.

“Hard at work once again?” Inigo jests.

“Hardly…” Tashok chuckles, keeping her eyes on her work. She doesn’t fancy poking herself. “Darned thing’s been letting snow in since yesterday…”

“Ah, yes that would be rather uncomfortable.” 

A small silence settles between the two of them, until she feels Inigo nudging her foot with his a few times, until she pauses her work and turns to him, her eyebrow quirking in a silent question.

“You know, next time you could tell me.” Inigo says, grinning. “I could carry you.”

Tashok bursts into laughter.

“Could you, now?” she snorts from behind her hand.

“Of course! Have you not seen me in battle my friend? Hold on, I shall prove my strength to you.”

He stands up quickly and bends down towards Tashok, who barely has the time to say “Wait, what?!” before Inigo takes hold of the wooden chair she’s seated in and lifts.

Tashok lets out a semi-yell, semi-laugh as she’s heaved into the air. Inigo sways a little backwards before regaining his balance and grinning triumphantly at her.

“See?” he says, still holding her up.

“Yes, yes I see.” Tashok chuckles while crossing her arms. “Now put me down. I can see you straining, and I can’t exactly work on fixing my boot from up here.”

“Very well.” Inigo pauses for a moment. In hindsight, he might have wanted to plan how he would bring his friend back down before lifting her up. “You, er… You might want to brace yourself.”

“Hold on, I’ll just jump down.” Tashok slips off the chair, which Inigo puts back on solid ground.

Tashok shakes her head fondly at her friend, mirroring his grin before sighing happily and continuing her mending. With her focus on the sole, she doesn’t notice that two of her children have trickled into their room until she finishes and notices the remaining two yawning and nodding off.

“Alright everyone, it’s time for bed.” she guides them into the room. “Make sure not to tire yourselves out too much tomorrow, we’re leaving on Tirdas.”

“Goodnight mama!” she hears Ma’isha and Sofie say before they fall asleep like their siblings.

* * *

Later the next day, Tashok finds herself doing what she knows best; alchemy, alongside Falion. Despite his insistence that she didn’t need to help, since as his guest she shouldn’t be doing work, she eventually managed to convince Falion to allow her to jump in. It’s rather hard to watch someone else doing alchemy when your own hands are itching to be doing the same.

“You make a lot of potions to help cure diseases…” Tashok notes. “That’s got to make you somewhat popular, no?”

“You’d think…” Falion scoffs. “Unfortunately all they see is the conjuration magic, and immediately branded me a necromancer.”

“Oh…”

“Besides, they only come to me if they’re desperate, otherwise they can always go to Lami. I have no hard feelings for her, however. She’s an excellent alchemist. Even if her friendship with Alva is… concerning.”

“What’s wrong with Alva?” Tashok tilts her head questioningly.

“She… Well it’s hard to explain without being accusatory.” Falion hesitates. “Let’s just say I have my suspicions about her…”

“Because of her eyes?” Tashok blurts out without thinking.

The reaction Falion has is not what she expected. He turns on his heels to face her so quickly he hits the alchemy table, rattling it and sending a few pieces of un-crushed chitin to the floor.

“What do you mean-” Falion is immediately cut off by Thonnir bursting into his home. “Ugh. Can’t you knock?!”

“Is the traveler here?” Thonnir asks before Falion can finish his outraged sentence. His eyes fall on Tashok. “Oh, good. Thought I’d come and find you. I have some bad news.”

Tashok’s heart plummets as a thousand possibilities of what the bad news could be run through her mind, each worst than the last.

“What’s going on?!” she runs towards him. “Are my kids alright?”

“Y-yeah, they’re fine.” Thonnir lifts his hands, placating. “Sorry, I didn’t realize this would sound worst than it is. We’ve gotten word of a pretty hefty battle between the Stormcloaks and the Legion between here and Rorikstead. The road’s gonna be blocked for who knows how long. I’m afraid you’re stuck here until the battle ends, or until it moves further.”

“I… I understand.” Tashok says after a few moments. She grabs for the coat she had settled onto one of the chairs, looking apologetically towards Falion. “I’m going to have to check in with Inigo and my children. I’ll let you know what we do after.”

“I’ll join you in a bit.” Falion nods, understanding. “I just need to finish these up…” He glances at the shattered glass. “And clean this…”

He wonders if he should ask Tashok what she means about Alva’s eyes, or drop it. Jonna keeps telling him to keep his head down, not to start trouble, lest the rest of Morthal truly try to drive him away.

Meanwhile Tashok strides quickly across the streets of Morthal, Thonnir jogging slightly behind her. Her speed is encouraged both by the unnerving change of plans and by the uncomfortable cold slipping into the coat she’s still buttoning up as she walks.

She scans the inn when she enters. She glances over to her children playing with some of the other local children at a nearby table, all focused on a card game. It seems they’re playing a luck game, and competing for a bowl of candied snowberries.

“Have you seen Inigo this morning?” she asks as she approaches the table.

Most children shake their heads with a chorus of negative “mh-mh” makes its rounds at the table. The only silent one thus far is a young redhead Nord, Helgi, if Tashok remembers correctly.

“Is Inigo your blue friend?” the little girl asks after a few moments of thinking.

“Yes, that’s the one.” 

“He was helping my Pa at the mill earlier today. He’s probably still there.”

“Thank you!” Tashok gives her usual rushed bow, drawing a perplexed look from the Morthal children and a giggle from Ma’isha.

Tashok dodges a wet puddle of slush near the inn’s steps as she makes her way to where she hopes the sawmill is located. It was never a point of interest for her when visiting, and so she never took the time to learn where it was situated, passed the bare necessities.

Assuming it’s located near the river bordering Morthal, she cranes her neck to situate herself until she takes a path she hopes will be the most direct. The sound of her boots kicking up the mix of snow, dirt and water is completely eclipsed by the sound of the unnerved townspeople running about, bracing themselves for the possibility that the war will make its way closer to them.

At least they don’t need to worry about being choked off resources with Solitude so close… she thinks to herself. 

Markath is most likely the hold most concerned by the war at the moment, between having a strong Thalmor presence — the thought of the black-robed forces sends shivers down Tashok’s spine — attacks from the Forsworn and the winter bringing food supplies to an all-time low.  
Tashok wonders idly how big the Stormcloak force going against the Imperials here, considering they’re nowhere near a sympathetic hold. 

If I’m lucky it’ll be small and this can be over quickly. Tashok thinks and immediately feels guilty for having such a thought. The Stormcloaks being defeated quickly means people dying. No matter her stance on the war, hoping that someone dies more quickly is a rather abhorrent thought to have, in her opinion.

She finally reaches the sawmill and smiles when she notes the telltale hint of blue fur peeking from bellow a fur hat moving about. She nods a greeting to one of the workers as she starts walking towards the ramp.

“Careful, lady.” the Nord warns her. “Ramp gets a lot of ice, hold on to the railing if you’re gonna use it.”

“Can do!” she obliges as she begrudgingly pulls her hand out from insider her warm sleeve.

She’s a bit less put off when she does, in fact, hit a patch of ice and clings to the rail as to not go tumbling down. The sound of her struggling alerts Inigo to her presence, and he pauses his work to come her way.

“Did you need me, my friend?” he asks.

“We need to talk about our plans to get back home.” she finally reaches the top of the sawmill. 

“One of the townsfolk came to tell me there’s a battle on the road to Rorikstead. No words about how long it’s set to last, or what direction it might go, if it does end up moving.”

“That… changes plans.” 

“Yeah… Not sure how long we’ll be here for.”

Inigo leans against a support beam, deep in thought. He mimics Tashok’s usual mannerism - the one she reserves for when she's deep in thought - and brings a hand to his chin. His thoughts are interrupted by a sudden strong gust of wind, sending chills across his body and annoyance across his features.

“Perhaps we should talk about this over a warm drink.” he suggests.

“Definitely.” Tashok agrees.

Inigo bids Jorgen farewell as Tashok carefully descends down the icy ramp, much more mindful of her step this time. Inigo suggests they try getting some pastries as they pass by the local bakery, the scent of freshly baked goods making both of them envious. 

They take a seat once they get to the inn and spread their map across the table, making brief eye contact with Jonna, who sends them a sympathetic nod, knowing their plans are in a bit of a topsy-turvy at the moment.

“So what do we do?” Tashok finally asks as she runs her hand over the road indicated on the map. “The road to Rorikstead is going to be closed, and I doubt we can convince anyone to let us through, even if we wanted. I don’t want the children to see a battle, even from afar.”

“That’s true… They are much too young to witness violence.” Inigo spares a glance at the children, who are still busy playing their card game.

“They could be thirty years older and I still wouldn’t want them to see it.” 

Tashok sits back, looking at the map as a whole, as if it will give her clear answers.

“I don’t mind staying here for some time.” she says. “But it’s going to get expensive quickly, and even with us doing some odd jobs, staying here’s more than a month won’t be good money-wise… I doubt people will be looking to buy a whole lot of potions if there’s less business already.”

“We could hunt?” 

Tashok shakes her head, pouting with a sour expression on her face.

“You, yes. I can’t…Not with my shoulder needing to heal. Colette said to wait at least a month.” she sighs. “I can do some healing if I have to, but honestly I’d feel bad asking for much during wartime.”

“I’m sure the people will understand. I suspect they will be happy to have a healer around.”  
“I wouldn’t exactly call myself a healer… Just… Someone who can heal.”

Inigo snorts.

“Of course you would find a way to toe around having an actual title…” he says fondly. “So… What is the plan exactly?”

Tashok hums uncertainly, still eying the map. Inigo also begins studying the map, hoping to find some solution to their conundrum.

“There is the possibility of doubling back towards Winterhold, and going through Wayward Pass.” he suggests.

“If it was just the two of us I’d say sure… But with the kids…” Tashok winces.

“Ah, that is true. We would need to move much more quickly for the detour to be worth it, but that would prove much too harrowing for the little ones.” Inigo concedes. “Besides, we have no guarantee that the pass will now be blocked by snow, and it is already rather unpleasant to go through on the best days…”

“So we stay for a while? See how things go?” 

“That seems to be the most sensible choice, yes.”

Tashok looks to her children, smiling as she sees their attention completely focused on their game, Alesan’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he looks at his cards. They must be nearing the end of the game, if their body language is anything to go by.

“At least the children won’t be lonely.” Tashok says. “I only wish there was a way for me to tell Illia we’ll be coming back later than we planned.”

“Even more later, you mean.” Inigo corrects with a smirk.

Tashok rolls her eyes. She had spent a bit more time in Winterhold than originally envisioned, but had made sure to send a letter to Illia to explain this. She can only hope that Illia hears of the battle and understands that they will be delayed. 

At least she has Pearl to keep her company in the meantime. 


	2. Bounty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Low on funds and with no end of the battle in sight, Tashok decides to take on a bounty in order to pay for her family's stay at the inn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again readers! Thank you for your patience, and I'm sorry about the delay. The month of September was pretty awful for me, and even the few (fleeting) times I wasn't busy, I didn't have the heart to write. But here is the second chapter! More should be coming soon as well!

Tashok’s brows furrow as she looks down at her current funds, utterly unsatisfied with the amount. Despite selling off almost everything she could comfortably live without, the cost of the inns, the food and the frequent baths they needed was starting to put a damper on her savings.  
Jonna, bless her kind heart, had been kind enough to make up some sort of ‘package deal’ on the spot, meaning that Tashok paying for all three services the inn provided together came to a bit less than it would have separately. 

Tashok knew that this was Jonna’s way of helping her, since Tashok couldn’t find it in herself to accept anything else that could hurt Jonna’s business. She’d be damned if if she had to be the reason for Jonna’s own funds dwindling.  
  
_Darn it_ … Tashok thinks as she realizes she’s going to have to take on some sort of bounty.

“Hey, Jonna?” she asks.

“Yeah? Need anything?” Jonna lifts her head from the other side of the counter.

“I’m going to need to find some work… Any suggestions?” 

“Well…” Jonna crosses her arms. “The blacksmiths, Lifts-Many-Boulders and Yaren… They might be looking for an extra pair of hands. They have Cinarya, but she’s pretty young so I think they’d rather just let her have a childhood. You’ve seen the little one, she’s been spending some time with your lot.”

“There’s so many of them playing with the children… I’m a little embarrassed I haven’t learned all their names yet.”

“Just ask your kids, I’m sure they’ll tell you all about their new friends.”

Tashok chuckles before going silent, biting her thumb as she thinks over how much she would need to work to feasibly cover her expenses.

“How’s your shoulder?” Jonna asks, sensing Tashok’s dilemma. “Are you completely out of commission in terms of fighting?”

“Huh? My...? Right.” Tashok blinks and looks to her shoulder, subconsciously bringing her hand to massage it slightly. “I mean it’s uh… Still sore and all. Easy to ignore, though. I guess I can still fight with my other hand using a shortsword or a dagger, even if I'm not that good at it.”

“Mh…” Jonna winces. “Maybe not, then…” 

“Wait, what do you mean?” Tashok perks up on her chair.

“There’s a giant that’s been getting awfully close to Stonehills, close enough to be worrying. Took out a few patrolling guards, so the Jarl’s put this bounty on him. It’d be a good amount of gold, but you don’t want to get close to those giants, trust me.”

“Has anyone tried reasoning with him?” Tashok asks, recalling a similar trouble near Whiterun.

She’d been able to talk with the giant, despite her trembling, and he had been convinced to keep his distance.

“Not sure… Maybe ask Aslfur.” 

“I’ll do that tomorrow, yeah.” 

Tashok spends the next thirty minutes or so poking at her stew restlessly while her thoughts fly around her head in a spiral of doubt and worry.

What if the Jarl doesn’t want to use reason?

What if the giant can’t be convinced to stop attacking?

What if the giant attacks her?

She can’t very well risk dying and leaving her children alone in Morthal… She’s considering doing this for their sake! Her reasonable side supplies that the few friends she has here wouldn’t let her children be homeless again, but she doesn’t want to leave them orphaned again, much less risk them being split up.

“You’re looking awful, friend.” she feels a strong hand come down on her good shoulder. Lurbuk takes a seat next to her. “What’s got you down like this?”

“It’s nothing…” Tashok doesn’t want Lurbuk to feel like he needs to pitch in money. 

Lurbuk quirks an eyebrow and tilts his head, clearly not buying it.

“Is it…. Er….” he tries to think of something that could be bothering her. “Is one of your friends hurt, or sick?”

“No, no… Nothing as bad as that.” Tashok sighs. Better tell him upright than to let him invent a list of issues, especially before he unintentionally hits on some buried worries. “I’m stuck around here because of the battle going on, and I’m getting a bit worried about money. It’s been days and I wasn’t planning on staying her for a long time, so the cost of staying here is starting to pile up.”

“Mh, big family, huh?” Lurbuk nods sympathetically. He clasps Tashok once more. “I can relate to that. Then again, the stronghold usually takes care of itself.”

“You’re from a stronghold?” Tashok’s ear twitches in surprise at the information.

“Ah uh, yeah.” Lurbuk seems uncharacteristically uncomfortable. He rubs his neck as he looks around. “Wasn’t really for me, though. I’m better off here.”

“I get it. I mean, not the stronghold part, I grew up in the city, but wanting something different. Honestly, I’m not sure I could live in a stronghold.”

“Eh, you’re better off out here too.” Lurbuk wraps his arm around Tashok, all smiles once more. “Being able to travel and see the world is a gift, my friend.”

Tashok thinks to everything she’s seen ever since she left Wayrest. She begins to think farther, to her search for ingredients during her apprenticeship. Despite the arduousness, she did find solace in the new sights and the unique energy of the mountainous forests.

“You’re right.” she returns Lurbuk’s smile. “I guess I should get working on my money problem… The bounty’s probably the best option right now, but…”

Tashok bites her lip as she tries to plan the next few days. Either she brings Inigo with her, leaving her children behind — which she isn’t very keen on — and so asks someone else — which she also isn’t very keen on since it would become costly — or she leaves Inigo behind and takes on the bounty solo.

“What’s troubling you?” Lurbuk’s voice brings her back to the present.

“I uh… I’m trying to figure out what to do with my children…” she explains. “If I bring Inigo with me — which is the safer option…” Lurbuk interjects a small «Yeah.» at this. “I’ll need someone to watch the kids… I could ask Falion but I don’t want to keep bothering him. I know he’s very busy, and that while my kids are well behaved there are a lot of them…”

She trails off, rubbing her face with her hands as she takes a deep breath.

“I could watch them.” Lurbuk’s suggestion sends her twisting to him in surprise.

“Really?” she asks.

“Sure.” Lurbuk forces an air of certainty, though his smile does seem a bit tense. “I’m already here at the inn…”

“Are you sure?”

“Y-yeah. Yeah. It’ll be fine… You worry about the bounty. Or, maybe don’t worry about it? You’re tense enough as is.”

Lurbuk pats her back with one more hearty chuckle, leaving her to prepare herself for her visit to the town hall.

* * *

Tashok shifts uncomfortably from one foot to the other as she braces herself for her meeting with the Jarl’s court. No matter where she is, the idea of having to go meet the local governing bodies in the town halls fills her with apprehension and dread. The entire experience is always uncomfortable at the very least.

“Are you going to stand there until sundown, or are you going to go in sometimes this month?” one of the guards posted at the door tells her after five minutes of awkward standing.

“Right, right.” Tashok climbs the steps as if she was shoved. “I’m going!”

“Don’t worry so much.” the other guard tells her. “Jarl Igrodmight be a bit hands off, but she’s fair. Aslfur might seem curt, but it’s just because he’s busy.”

“Oh, well. Thanks.”

Tashok slips inside the hall, shaking off the cold air as she passes through the vestibule, where a woman sweeping the hallway spots her. 

“Here to see someone specific?” she asks.

“Uh, yes. I was hoping to talk to Aslfur?” Tashok glances about nervously, wringing her gloves between her hands. “About the giant near Stonehills?”

“Oh, an adventurer, then!” the woman smiles as she approaches, motioning down a different hallway. “It’s just straight ahead, the last door down this corridor.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Tashok gives her a furtive bow and rushes through the hall until she reaches the door and hesitates.

Should she knock, wait for an answer or simply go inside? 

She looks around uncertainly, hoping that the woman from before was still nearby so she could ask how to proceed. She briefly considers leaving to find her again, but quickly aborts that idea as she realizes that she may end up roaming the unfamiliar halls for a while.

She presses her head against the door, listening for some sort of conversation, and when nothing of note comes to her, she opts for knocking and opens the door a few seconds later.

She freezes as several pairs of eyes lock onto her, until a man coughs politely and steps up to her. 

“Need anything? The Jarl is very busy, so I’d ask that you bring any concerns you have to me.” he says. “I’m Aslfur, the steward.”

“I’m Tashok.” she introduces herself as usual with a small bow. “I was passing through Morthal to try and get back home to Falkreath when we heard about the battle to the southwest, so my family and I are staying here until the roads are cleared for travel again.” 

“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. Unfortunately with the war going on we’re unable to provide any real support to anyone who’s been displaced. We need to focus on keeping up our resources for our citizens, you see. The Civil War has reached its boiling point, though if I’m honest it was already many years in the making…”

“Huh? Oh! I’m not here for that. I mean, not really. Jonna mentioned a bounty on a giant near Stonehills giving you trouble?”

Alsfur scoffs as he crosses his arms. 

“That’s one way to put it.” he scowls. “Damned thing killed five of our guards when they tried to lead him away. Just swung his club as soon as the sergeant approached him.” his eyes fall on Tashok’s dagger. “I’m guessing you’re here to take it on.”

“Yes, about that. I just…” Tashok hesitates. “Well, you see, I’ve got some experience dealing with giants and uh… Well. I was hoping maybe I could reason with — him — you said?”

“Absolutely not. That giant is dangerous. If you can’t put him down we’ll find someone who will.”

Aslfur turns around decidedly, clearly done with the conversation.

“Wait, no, listen, please!” Tashok follows him, her hesitation gone. “I know giants can talk! They're smart too! If we figure out why he was attacking we could figure something out! We don’t have to get anyone else killed! Giants don’t just attack for no reason, not usually!”

“So you’re the expert in giants, now?” Aslfur doesn’t seem convinced.

“Like I’ve said…” Tashok is growing irritated. “I’ve dealt with one before. It was just a misunderstanding, and as soon as it was cleared up he went on his way!”

“Did you miss the part where it killed our guards?” 

“Well, did the guards attack first? Were they threatening? Giants don’t like to get close to humans and merfolk… Something has to be wrong.”

Aslfur goes to open his mouth, still frowning, but Tashok pushes through.

“Just let me try, alright? If he attacks me, then I’ll kill him. But I’m going to try and find a non-violent solution if I can. Hasn’t this region seen enough bloodshed?”

This does seem to give Aslfur pause. Tashok seizes her chance while she has the upper hand.

“What have you got to lose?” she forces herself to look him in the eyes, unwavering. 

A terse silence settles between the two, as Aslfur’s resolve visibly drains away as Tash maintains eye contact, her shoulders squared. Finally, he speaks.

“Fine, do what you want! But don’t say I didn’t warn you!” he waves his hand irritatingly.

“I’m going to need something to give as a peace offering. Something from Morthal that’d make him understand this is meant to represent peace.”

“The giant kills our men, and you want to give him things?” Aslfur’s outrage is rekindled.

“I want to give this negotiation a chance. Just — give me a shield, like a guard’s. Something clearly from Morthal.”

Aslfur looks her up and down, his lips in a thin line, before finally sighing.

“Fine, but you have to pay for it.” he says. “Go ask the blacksmith, tell him I sent you."

“Thank you.” Tashok says tightly as she bows once more before taking her leave.

If Tashok is walking a bit more fervently than usual, no one needs to know why. At least, she hopes she’s doing a good enough job of keeping her facial expression in check. She’s rather thankful for her hood right now, as she’s never quite gotten the handle on stopping her ears from betraying her feelings.

She keeps walking until she finally sees the smithy shop sign in the distance reading “Hammer and Anvil”. She pushes the door open, glancing about as she approaches the empty counter. There’s a variety of armours on display as well as axes, shields and swords.

“I’ll be right there!” she hears a voice from the back of the store.

“No problem.” Tashok leans against the counter, looking around once more.

She waits a few seconds until footsteps begin to approach.

“Welcome!” an orc comes from the door frame. “Name’s Yaren. Do you need weapons, armour, supplies?”

“Actually, I have an unusual request.” Tashok says. “I need something to give to the giant near Stonehills, as a sort of peace offering. I was hoping for a Hjaalmarch guard’s shield? Some sort of visual so the giant recognizes Morthal’s people.”

“You’re actually going to try and negotiate with him?” Yaren raises an eyebrow. “You’re braver than most.”

“Did anyone else try?”

“I wouldn’t know.” the Orc shrugs. They motion to Tashok to wait while they start heading to the back of the store once more. “Let me go check if we have anything.”

Tashok nods, waiting about a minute until Yaren returns, a round shield in hand.

“Well, the paint is pretty faded, but I could give it a fresh coat, for, say, five septims?” they suggest. “That’d bring you up to forty-five septims total.”

“That’s fine… If everything goes well the bounty should cover it.”

Yaren nods, pulling a stool and setting the shield on a nearby table before reaching down for supplies.

“So what brings you to Morthal?” they ask.

“I have some friends here, and it’s the more pleasant route back from Winterhold. Or at least it usually is.” Tashok explains, watching them work.

“Ah. Got stuck because of the war, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. If it was just my friend and I we’d have a little more options, but I’m traveling with my children, so I’m here until a better path comes up.” 

“Children, huh? I take it you’re the one who brought the gaggle of kids Cinarya’s been telling me about…”

“Yeah, those are probably mine.” Tashok laughs. 

“You’re pretty young to be a parent.” the Orc notes, eyeing Tashok for a second. “You’re doing alright?”

“As alright as I can be, all things considered…”

Yaren makes a noncommittal hum, finishing up the final strokes on the shield before turning fully towards Tashok.

“Well, Lifts and I could always use help around the forge, if that’s your sort of thing.” they say. “I’m not as good with smithing as he is, so I usually stay in the store. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind the extra help, though.”

“I know a bit about smithing. I made this dagger here.” she pats her enchanted dagger. “A few months ago. Enchanted it a bit later.”

Yaren leans over to take a look at the dagger.

“Hah! You’ll be fine then.” they say. “Lifts mostly works with iron and steel. If you can craft orcish weapons you can handle some steel…”

“I mostly do maintenance on my weapons…” Tashok admits. “Like sharpening it, replacing the bowstring… The basics.”

“Always good to know.” Yaren nods approvingly.

They lean back, looking at the shield and moving their head around to see how much the paint still needs to dry.

“Should take a few minutes.” they tell her.

Tashok takes the opportunity to pull out her coin pouch, wincing as she gives them more than half of what’s left inside. Once Yaren is satisfied with the paint, they pick up the shield and hand it to Tashok with a grin.

“If you make it out, try and come back here for some work. It’s a bit less risky.” they tell her.

“Thanks.” Tashok returns the smile and slips out the shop.

Now all she needs to do is find Inigo and let him know of her plans. She doesn’t necessarily expect him to come with her, considering the high risk of the bounty she’s taking on. She doesn’t recall seeing him when she left the inn after her chat with Lurbuk.

She manages to find him once more at the mill, waving hello to the blond Nord from the other day as she goes up the ramp again. She finds Inigo helping haul a particularly large log onto the conveyor until he spots her. He holds up his finger, asking her to wait and comes to her a few minutes later.

“Hello my friend.” he greets her. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, I just took on a bounty job…” she shifts around, trying to keep herself moving and warm. “I figured I’d let you know about it.” 

“A bounty?!” Inigo’s stance immediately shifts to on edge. “My friend, are you well enough for this?”

“I can still fight…” Tashok crosses her arms as she looks to the side.

“I know, you handled those skirmishes pretty well… But I’m simply concerned that you would get injured if we go tangling with bandits.”

“Oh, it’s not bandits, and you don’t have to come along…”

“Of course I’m coming along.” Inigo puts his hands on his hips, determined.

“It’s going to take a few days…” Tashok explains as she shifts around. “I know you’ve got money coming in with this, so I thought you might want to stay here.”

“Do not be ridiculous, my friend. I would never let you face any danger, great or small, on your own.”

Tashok looks to him with a smile.

“I know.” and she means this. She knows her friend will be by her side to the best of his capabilities. 

As painful as their talk was back at the College, she now feels much lighter than she did before, secure in the knowledge that their friendship is strong and true.

“So what is this bounty, and when do we leave?” Inigo cocks his head to the side with a grin.

“It’s a giant, I’m going to talk to him.” Tashok mirrors his expression. 

Inigo blinks a few times, ears twitching.

“I’m sorry, there must be fur balls in my ears.” he chuckles dryly. “I heard you say you’re doing to go talk to the murderous giant? The one with a bounty on his head?”

“You heard right.” Tashok stands tall. “I know not all giants are violent. I’m going to give it a try.”

“I-” Inigo makes a string of chocked sounds. “Are you sure, my friend?”

“I don’t want to just be some killer who goes around murdering people because a Jarl said so. This could be a misunderstanding. If it is then I might be able to work something out.”

“Do you even speak Giant?”

“Nope.”

“Right… Do you have any idea how to communicate with a giant?”

“Yes, actually!” Tashok chirps proudly. “During my first month in Skyrim, before I even met Lucien, there was a giant hanging around a farm. Actually ended up crushing some wheat under his feet, since he was standing right in the middle of the field. He looked pretty lost, honestly. I was able to get him to follow me away from the crops and explain to him that he couldn’t cross the farm’s boundaries. I used a fair amount of pointing and single words. He got the message.”

“I see… Perhaps there is hope after all. But I still do not like the risk you are taking.”

“Well, that's where you’d come in.” Tashok leans against a post to explain. “I’d have you standing out of view, and I see him getting aggressive, I’ll signal you.”

“And I shoot him from a distance.” Inigo nods in understanding.

“Exactly. We could try using some poison, maybe something paralyzing… Then again giants are pretty big, so it’d probably only slow him down… Anyways, it should give me enough time to disappear and run.”

“While this plan is still very risky, I cannot deny it is a good one.” Inigo shakes his head with a fond smile. “When do we leave?”

“Tomorrow morning. Best get some sleep tonight.”

* * *

Tashok looks to the horizon as they reach Stonehills, wondering if it’s best to keep pressing onward or stopping here for the night. They most definitely still have a few hours left of light, only being late-afternoon.

“But who knows when we will reach the camp.” Inigo points out. “I am unsure about Giants’ habits, but I suspect they would not enjoy a late night visit.”

“You’re right.” Tashok glances around as she walks into the settlement proper. “Do you think they have an inn?”

“I do not recall, but I doubt it. Mining settlements like these do not get enough visitors for it to be profitable.”

“Right… Even Jonna being in Morthal has a hard time.”

Tashok walks around for a while, taking in the few cabins built in the middle of the settlement. She assumes this is where the miners live, considering the two cabins are simple yet spacious enough to host a large group of people. It reminds her of the longhouse in Narzulbur, now that she gets a closer look from the outside, though the build is much simpler and Nordic in style.

A few guards notice her presence, with two breaking away to come accost her.

“Good evening traveler.” one says. “Are you here looking for work?”

“Ah, no, well, not really.” Tashok fidgets.

If it weren’t for the guards’ helmets, Tashok would see some cautious curiosity cross their features. 

“Well… Are you just stopping by?” the other asks.

“Yes! I’m hoping to deal with the Giant nearby, the one with a bounty?” Tashok explains herself.

“Right, that one.” the guard says darkly. “Word of advice, if you’re going to engage, do it from a distance. Some guards paid the price when they decided to use their swords.”

“I've been told…” Tashok shifts around nervously. “Well, anyways. We’re hoping to stop here for the night and leave in the morning.”

“Well… I guess you could ask the miners if they’d let you sleep in the cabins. Looks like you have bedrolls for yourselves.”

“Also you’d need to let Sorli or Pactur know about it. They’re the ones running this place.”

“Thank you! Where would they be?” 

“At this hour? Best guess is in the house over there.”

The guard points to the one and only proper house in the settlement, most definitely more well-maintained than the rest of the camp. Tashok sends her thanks once more and hesitates, unsure, once again, if she should knock or if this home is open to most strangers.

She opts for knocking, just to be safe. This is someone’s house after all.

A Nord man opens the door, jumping a bit at the sight of two strangers. He was clearly expecting one of the workers.

“Ah, uh, why don’t you come on in?” he steps to the side to let them in. “I’m Pactur, I’m the overseer here in the mine.”

“Oh, do you own the mine?” Tashok asks.

“No, and before you ask, it's not for sale.” 

Tashok recoils a bit at the harsh tone.

“I wasn’t gonna ask about that.” Tashok says. Not like she wants nor could force something like this.

“I'm just protecting Bryling's investment.” Pactur relaxes a bit. "She’s the owner, even though we're the ones here doing all the work. She's already come down hard on us for missing shipments. Likely to do it again, since we're late.”

“Bryling?” Tashok tilts her head.

“She’s one of Solitude’s Thanes… Not sure how much we’ll be able to speed things up, with the roads being dangerous for shipments like this. Plus the guards are busy as is…”

“Isn’t there any way you can explain things to her?”

“Can't do that and keep an eye on things here at the same time. But... You could take word to her in Solitude, let her know it'll be coming soon. I'd make it worth your while. No one would notice a few missing ingots out of the next shipment.”

“I… Suppose I could make a stop there? Once I’m done with my current job.”

“You’d be doing quite the favour. Which reminds me… What brings you all the way out here?”

“We’re passing through.” Tashok explains. “I was hoping to deal with the giant with the bounty. We travelled from Morthal all day. Is it… Erm… Well would it be alright if my friend and I stayed in one of the cabins here?” she pauses, then adds quickly. “I don’t mind paying…”

“I-uh…” Pactur looks to his dining table, where two other Nords, a young man and a woman, are seated.

“I don’t have a problem with you staying on the grounds.” the woman speaks up. “But whether you can stay in the cabins is going to be up to the workers. Don’t expect any meals either. It’s hard enough feeding this entire place as is.”

“I wasn’t gonna ask!” Tashok assures her. “The guards just suggested I ask you first.”

“M’yes… That’s fine.” the woman waves her hand dismissively, taking a sip of her drinking. “Oh, but if the workers don’t want you do stay in, feel free to set up camp near the mine or in one of the natural groves.”

“Thank you!” Tashok breathes a sigh of relief.

“Oh, and when you see Bryling…” Pactur adds as Tashok heads for the exit. “I’m sure she’ll be angry. Brace yourself.”

Tashok allows a wince, which Pactur responds to with an apologetic smile before closing the door once more.

Tashok heads to the large campfire set between the two large cabins, where a large number of workers are seated, some eating and drinking, others simply chatting and laughing amongst themselves.

The Dunmer currently passing bowls of stew around notices her approach, his stare attracting other’s gaze to her.

“And who might you be?” he asks. “I hope the two of you weren’t expecting food, I didn’t notice either of you working today and I didn’t make extras.”  
“No, no. We’re fine of food.” Tashok says. “I wouldn’t say no to using the fire to heat some of my own.”

“That I don’t mind.” 

“And, uh, well…” Tashok wrings her hands. “I was, well…”

If the sight of a newcomer wasn’t enough to get most people’s attention, her stuttering draws the rest of the worker’s gazes.

“We were hoping that you’d allow us to stay in one of your cabins for the night.” Inigo jumps in, saving her. “We have our bedrolls, we’d simply appreciate somewhere warm and dry to stay.”

“Don’t know how dry the floor’d be with all the snow we’re dragging in, but I sure don’t mind.” an Imperial man shrugs. “What about the rest of ya?”

The workers all shrug or nod, mostly indifferent.

“Sounds like you two can stay!” a teenage Nord smiles to them as she sits down. “I’m Millette, you?”

Tashok and Inigo introduce themselves as some of the workers scoot closer to one another, inviting them to sit near the fire with them. She warms her bread enough for it to become toasty, slathering it with some of the pâté she made before leaving, content to let Inigo do the talking as she relaxed and enjoyed the easygoing atmosphere.

A few more workers come and go, each new one learning about the new guests. Inigo manages to entice the majority with some tales of he and Tash’s exploits. And he barely needed to exaggerate. The mood drops when he mentions their current quest.

“You really plan on reasoning with that… beast?” a Nord, Gestur, his name was, looks partly impressed and partly horrified.

“I’ve managed before…” Tashok looks away. “There was some misunderstanding with the local farmers, near Whiterun… Sure we didn’t speak the same language, but he understood nods and head shakes. Through some pointing and gesturing he got the message.”

“Doubt that one had gotten into a fight with the guards, though…” one of the miners says. “Satine and Sharog tried to warn the guards to approach carefully… but do they ever listen to us? 'Course not! What do a bunch of miners know, right? Pah!”

“Well… I have to try at least.” Tashok mumbles. “I don’t like fighting people.”

“Ha!” a Nord slaps his knee. “An Orc who doesn’t fight… Now I’ve seen everything!”

“We’re you listening you oaf? She does fight! The blue Khajiit just said so!” another Nord slaps him on the shoulder, reprimanding. “Don’t pay attention to Fordal here. He dropped too many shelves on his head.”

“Oi!” 

The two of them begin teasing each other in a way Tashok knows old friends do, and so she allows herself to relax again. Gods she needs to stop tensing up, especially in the middle of the cold season like this.

“So, you’re an adventurer?” an Altmer takes a seat by her side. “Those bounties pay well?”

“Oh, um… They do, in my experience.” Tashok tells her. “But I don’t think I’d call myself an adventurer per se… I mean sure I’ve taken odd jobs here and there… But I’m mostly trying to sell my potions.”

“Alchemy? Never got the hang of that. Does that pay well?”

“Usually. People always need potions for something. I know my alchemy master made quite the profit with his shop.”

“You having trouble setting up shop?”

“I haven’t had the chance, to be honest…” Tashok thinks about everything that’s happened to her since she came to Skyrim. There’s no denying that she was able to make a profit with her skills, but to call herself an alchemy by trade would be disingenuous considering the variety of work she took on. 

“I’m guessing those bounties keep you busy?”

“That, and other things…” Tashok hopes the woman will be satisfied with her vague answer.

“Well, I don’t envy you.” the woman says. “If I was strong enough I’d like doing that whole adventuring thing, but that’s not for me.”

“It’s very violent…” Tashok admits with a wince.

“I’ll bet. This job here is pretty boring, but it’s steady and simple.” the woman leans backwards with a grin, stretching.

“What do you do here? Are you one of the miners?”

“Not a miner… I’m the carpenter. If you need a new bed, desk, table, I’m the one to do it.” the woman smiles with a glimmer of pride. “I helped Formal build the two cabins, too. Usually I just fix things 

It’s not until much later that the workers begin trickling back into their lodgings, inviting Tashok and Inigo to follow. Tashok is touched to see that a few of the workers had moved their bunks slightly closer to one another to the two of them more room in one of the furthest, and driest, corners. She rolls out her bedroll, removing most of her more stiff apparel before sinking in and falling fast asleep, her energy having been depleted by the day-long trek.


	3. Giant's Camp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tashok heads to the Giant's encampment hoping to somehow use diplomacy to resolve the situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this rate I'll have an apology for delays for every single chapter... T^T So... Sorry for the delay, I got hit with the flu for 2 weeks AND started a new job. Phew.

Tashok opens her eyes to near total darkness, and for a few seconds she doesn’t quite remember where she is. Her mind tells her she’s amongst the dock workers, if the various sounds of breathing and soft snoring are to be trusted, and that she should go back to sleep quickly as to not bother anyone who has a hard day of work ahead of them.

She forces her eyes closed once more, and soon sleep finds her again, the last thing she hears mixed with the other’s breaths being the crackling of the fire pit.

The sounds of footsteps and hushed voices awaken her the next morning as she stretches out her stiff muscles. Despite the fire, sleeping on the floor is a bit colder than being on a raised surface. Inigo follows slowly as the sounds surrounding them increase in volume and frequency.

“Morning.” she croaks out. Darn, she needs to drink some water.

She reaches for her waterskin, making a mental note to refill it before leaving the small settlement. Inigo mumbles a good morning back as she takes a few gulps, asking her when they were thinking of leaving.

“Definitely within the hour, ideally sooner.” Tashok says. “We’ll need breakfast but I’d rather reach the encampment sooner than later. Who knows how long the talk could take. And I only have a rough idea of where it's at. Could be a few hours give or take.”

The breakfast goes on rather uneventfully as the rest of the workers groggily begin their day. The Dunmer who had been cooking yesterday’s meal catches her as she’s packing up, slipping two loaves of bread between her hands with a small word of encouragement before leaving her to continue her preparation. She can't help but smile as she continues to pack up, touched by the stranger's kindness.

Today’s wind is thankfully much more tempered than yesterday, allowing them to keep an extra bit of warmth as they walk through the snow. Inigo thinks to himself that this will make shooting the giant easier should he be foolish enough to attack his friend. As good of an archer as he is, even he is not immune to strong winds and low visibility.

He chuckles.

"What is it?" Tashok asks him, head barely turned his way thanks to their bulky winter clothes.

"I am remembering the time you were practicing your archery at the College, and a snowflake landed into your eye." Inigo tells her, grinning.

"Oh, that." Tashok laughs, a bit embarrassed. "I'm just glad I was smart enough to have set the targets away from people..."

"You have a relatively good sense of foresight... Most of the time."

"Most of the time?" Tashok grins.

"Yes. I'm not sure how much foresight this diplomatic mission of yours actually entails."

"Very funny... Wait, I think we need to split from the main path here..."

The pair eventually reach what should be the mountain in question, if the map is to be trusted. Not the tallest they've climbed, but certainly daunting enough in Inigo's opinion. Meanwhile, Tashok feels a bit of a thrill at the idea of climbing it. 

_Think of the view!_ she tells herself as encouragement.

“Here it goes.” Tashok sighs, bracing herself. “Time to go trailblazing, my friend.”

“Ah, quite right.” Inigo takes a seat by her on a log.

They take a minute to strap on their snowshoes, careful to have them secure but easily removed should something happen. With one last bit of mental preparation, the two of them begin their slow climb up the snowy mountain, finding as much flat ground as possible. There are a few times where the only way up is to climb a small ledge, and once more their teamwork gets them through.

Once at what seems to be the top of the mountain, they take a few seconds to catch their breath and observe their surroundings.

“I think we should eat lunch.” Tashok pulls her scarf down from her face to speak.

“Agreed, this seems like as good a place as any. It is flat enough, and between trees.” Inigo plops himself down on a large rock peeking out of the snow.

“How’s some snowberries and frozen cheese sound?” Tashok pulls out her small ration bag. “There’s also the bread Nisain gave us before leaving.”

“It will have to do.” Inigo shrugs.

“I mean, at least snowberries don’t get frozen solid.” Tashok says before popping a few in her mouth.

“But they’re so tart.”

Tashok chuckles.

“Eh, not that bad... Besides,you get used to it.” Tashok takes a sip of water, flinching a bit as the cold hits her teeth. "Like rhubarb."

Tashok spares a glance about as they eat their meal, spotting a tall pillar of smoke coming from the distance.

“Do you think that might be it?” she nods in the smoke’s direction.

“It does look like it could be.” Inigo tucks the last bit of bread away. “Why don’t we try and get closer, once we get close I’m sure I will recognize the smell of giant and mammoth.”

“Let’s scout the area, I want to make sure this is the right place.” Tashok says as she clips her knapsack closed once more. “Not that I think there are lots of giant camps just hanging around the region but… oh you know what I mean.”

“I do, my friend.” Inigo chuckles. “Do not worry.”

They finish packing up their things in relative silence and begin the descent towards the camp, on the lookout for both giants and potential threats as they go. Tashok does hit a patch of loose snow, which sends her tumbling a few feet down, thankfully nothing more.

"All good?" Inigo catches up to her.

"M'yeah..." Tashok grumbles as she brushes snow off her face. She likes snow, but this is just unpleasant.

Inigo hoists her up, handing her one of her snowshoes, which had come loose during her little fall.

“How close do you think we can get before we risk being seen?” Tashok asks, careful not to let her voice carry too far. It’s somewhat challenging to do considering her natural voice is so flute-like, but she’s learned a few techniques over the years. The downside is that such techniques, like most stealth tricks, do require most of her attention since her tone and volume isn’t often something she notices herself. “Do you remember some of the sign language I showed you?”

“I would not go past that hill right there.” Inigo says, pointing to a small hill a small distance away. “As for the signs, I did try practicing, but I’m afraid it’s still new to me. If you need to sign, try keeping it simple and slow, maybe just one word at a time.”

Tashok signs. “Understood.” she grins at her friend. 

“That I… err.” Inigo pauses, imitating Tashok’s previous sign as he says the word out loud as well. “Understood.”

Tashok smiles fondly at his progress, nodding to signal him to keep going. With the loud wind they should be able to get close enough, but the two of them still creep carefully towards the hill. Once there, they peek over at the Giant’s camp. It does seem to be a singular giant, no mammoths in sight, which is odd.

“I thought mammoths and giants were like… Life companions?” Tashok whispers to Inigo. “Where do you think it could be?”

“I’m not sure… Perhaps it was killed? Or lost.” Inigo whispers back. “Maybe that is why the giant has been straying from his territory.”

“Well, either way… I think this is a good spot for you to lay low. We can almost see the entire camp from here. I’m going to have to go…” Tashok pauses. “Over there.”

She points to what appears to be the actual entrance to the camp, laden with clear signs of Giant activity that would ward off any wanderer. 

But not her. 

Then again she isn’t a wanderer. She came here on purpose.  
“Are you sure you’re going to do this?” Inigo asks, a knot forming in his throat. “I’m still nervous just thinking about it.”

“Yes.” 

She hands over some poison bottles to Inigo, pausing as she hands him the last one.

“Just in case.” she says, her expression set.

“Just in case.” he echoes, and her body relaxes just a small fraction, her expression still stoic but undertoned with relief.

“Right then.” she sighs and slips away.

Inigo watches her go from his hiding place, his gut dropping as soon as she becomes out of view. He tries to temper the anxiety, knowing that even though he can’t see her she’s still far away from the camp. From danger.

But she won’t be for long. his mind reminds him. She’s going towards the danger.

Still, Inigo trusts his friend and knows that, injured as she may be, she is far from helpless. He always trusts her, it’s the rest of the world he doesn’t. 

He keeps a keen eye on the camp’s entrance, heart pounding loudly as the minutes stretch on. It feels like he’s been here for hours, when in fact it must have been less than fifteen minutes. The cold wind coming from his left isn’t helping.

Finally his friend comes into view, walking carefully but not stealthily towards the Giant sitting near the fire. The Giant looks almost friendly in this moment, staring calmly into the flames, his breath making a large cloud of fog.

That is until the Giant hears Tashok approaching. Inigo watches on tensely as the Giant becomes guarded, eyes darting to his club nearby. Tashok’s lips move as she raises her hands placatingly, hoping that she seems as unthreatening as possible. The Giant steps closer cautiously, as much on edge as Tashok seems to be, and Inigo feels his vision swimming.

Wait, that’s because he’s been holding his breath ever since she crossed into the encampment. He forces himself to breathe, though the fact he can barely tell what is happening has him on edge. He prepares his bow and one poisoned arrow, ready to knock it just in case.

He has to repress the urge to loosen an arrow in the Giant’s neck when the latter picks up his club before walking closer to Tashok. Good thing he did, however, as the Giant uses it to brace himself as he leans down to get a closer look at the Orc. The Giant is a bit closer than what Inigo is comfortable with, why is he this close?

Meanwhile Tashok is trying her hardest not to let her nerves get the best of her as the Giant picks up his clumb and comes towards her. He looks wary, but not outright hostile.

That’s a good start.

It’s as he gets closer that Tashok starts regretting her decision.

 _Oh gods… What was I thinking._ she tells herself as the Giant towers over her.

_I don’t know how to talk to him. I can’t speak Giant._

_Oh I should’ve planned this out better._

She forces herself to look up to him, the air tense and quiet. Until she realizes.

He’s inspecting me. He’s curious, not aggressive.

She briefly wonders how she knows this. She also begins examining the Giant’s body language and expression to try and figure out how to best approach the situation from here, her ears flicking in a manner much like his did as she thinks.

Wait.

She visibly perks up at the opportunity to get through the language barrier. She takes a better look at the Giant and notices things she’d never considered before. Like his pointed ears, which coupled with the rest of his body language tells her he’s intrigued yet at ease by her behaviour. Or the horns dotting his forehead that remind her of her brother Yorag. Not that this Giant particularly looks like him, but Tashok finds herself feeling a sense of kinship with this stranger that’s twice her size.

She may not be able to tell him she means no harm, but she can show him.

She briefly wonders where to go from here. She’s fairly confident she won’t be smacked into the sky, but there’s still the matter of actually telling him not to get close to official settlements anymore. She glances about, as if the answer to her conundrum would be sitting patiently somewhere in the camp.

Well, she does get an idea as she looks at one of the camp’s rocky walls. While some ice is present, for the most part there’s a big enough space for her to draw a sort of diagram to help illustrate her point.

Tashok holds out her hand placatingly as she slips off her backpack and kneels by it. The Giant simply observes her, and if she didn’t know any better she’d say he’s rather amused by her unusual behaviour. Not that she’d know.

She pulls out a few wrapped pieces of chalk and heads toward the rock wall, drawing her best imitation of the giant before her. Her artistic skills aren’t exactly the best -- the most she usually manages is a somewhat faithful adaptation of alchemical ingredients -- and so she adds a club in the Giant’s hand, just for good measure. She taps on the drawing before pointing to the actual Giant, hoping he understands her meaning. She follows by drawing a few smaller people on a different rock, along with houses and cabins before pointing to the direction of Stonehills and Morthal. 

The Giant is kneeling on one knee behind her, watching her movements like a cat watching a leaf is moving on its own. Curious, but also slightly puzzled. 

“Okay, right. So.” Tashok looks to the Giant. “This is you.” she points between the drawing of the Giant and the Giant himself. “You - have to stay far from the people.” she adds extra gestures, hoping the visual support is enough to carry her meaning.

The Giant nods, then stands up, heading towards the large campfire. He picks a charred piece of wood, throwing it into the snow to cool it before heading back near Tashok. He begins to draw his own picture, this time of multiple people seemingly fighting, if she’s interpreting the simplistic pictures properly.

The giant stands up once more, this time more laboriously and digs around in a pile of various objects. Tashok cranes her neck curiously, but reels back with a yelp as the Giant tosses a few damaged helmets and pieces of armour in her direction. She immediately recognizes them as Stormcloak and Imperial.

Ah.

Tashok suspects the fighting might have been putting the Giant on edge, driving him to look for a new location for his encampment, but this isn’t something she can easily ask or explain.

 _Darn... I wonder if the College has some books on Giant language._ she makes a mental note to send a letter to the College as soon as she can.

“Oh, um…” she glances back to the rock that’s been serving as a drawing board and adds some soldiers separately. “They -” she points to the new picture. “Are not with the others.”

The Giant patiently follows her wide gesturing, before nodding tentatively, as if he too isn’t quite sure if the message got through.

“So… Um… Right.” Tashok remembers her stream of thought. “Stay far from them.”

She pulls out the Morthal guard shield, handing it to the Giant.

“For you.” she offers. “So you know which ones not to attack.”

The Giant gingerly reaches out for the shield, almost plucking it from Tasho’s hands and examines it. A frown settles on his face as he recognizes the symbol, looking to Tashok before gesturing to his leg, and while she can’t understands the words he uses, she can assume he’s pointing out that guards with that very symbol injured him.

“I can help!” Tashok says.

The Giant doesn’t understand what she says, though «help» is a word he’s heard before. He looks to her, speaking as he cocks his head to the side.

Tashok wonders how she could get her message across. She backs away slightly, holding her hand up for him to wait as she digs inside her bag once more, pulling out a small cutting knife. This makes the Giant tense, though he remains sitting where he is, bringing his club closer. Meanwhile Tashok quickly disinfects her blade, wiping it with a cloth and stepping back to the Giant.

“I don’t want to do this but…” Tashok takes a deep breath as she removes one of her gloves and pushes her sleeve up to reveal some of her arm. “Here it goes…”

She winces as she makes a small cut on her arm, big enough to be noticeable, but small enough to not be too concerning.

Now the Giant looks very confused. He watches Tashok dab the wound with her cloth and put it away.

“Look!” she says, putting the knife down, and holds out her now free hand, charging a spell.

The Giant flinches back at the sight of a spell, but relaxes once more when it’s clear that this is one is of the non-aggressive variety. He leans closer, perplexed by the display before him. A dim warm and golden glow swirls as Tashok concentrates on closing her wound. She realizes that she needs much more concentration that her simple healing spell normally demands.

 _This is usually easier…_ she thinks as the wound closes more slowly than what she expected. _Why’s my spell less potent?_

Nonetheless, the wound finally closes, leaving no sign it was ever there, not even a scar. She tries to bury the anxiety mounting at this new development.

“See?” Tashok shows the Giant. “I can help you too.” she punctuates this with gestures.

For some time the Giant is silent. He glances down at the shield in his hand, to his wrapped leg and to Tashok’s now uninjured arm. After what feels like minutes, he sets the shield aside and behinds unwrapping his leg, revealing a rather sizeable gash — it would have no doubt killed a human or a mer — in the process of healing and motions to Tashok.

She takes the invitation to come closer, her heart pounding. What if her healing is still weak? Will he lose patience? What if it doesn’t work at all?

Tashok holds her breath as she holds out both hands, letting them hover just above the injury as she concentrates on knitting the flesh back together, careful to imbue her spell with cleansing energy as well to prevent infection. 

The wound begins to close properly and quickly without too much effort on her part. She half gasps, half laughs in relief. Soon enough, only pale scar remains.

The Giant looks pleased with her handiwork, standing slowly and testing his leg’s endurance before looking to Tashok with what she can only interpret as a smile, which she returns, ears fluttering happily. The Giant’s ears don’t quite flutter, but they do twitch in response before he turns to go hang the shield up along one of the encampment’s walls.

“Well… That’s that then.” Tashok says when he looks back to her. “Goodbye!” she waves.

She begins walking towards the exit, only to turn her head back when she hears the Giant walking her way.

“Yes?” she stops. 

The Giant simply continues to way to the exit, looking back to her expectantly.

“Ah, alright.” she follows him.

She finds herself thankful for this when as they reach the entrance, another Giant comes into view, mammoths in tow. His eyes fall on her, and he looks to the Giant accompanying her, exchanging a few guttural words until the new Giant simply continues into the camp. 

The first Giant stops once they reach the edge, watching her leave, club resting on his shoulder nonchalantly. She glances back once more before beginning her ascent back to where Inigo was hidden.

She hopes he hasn’t frozen up there.

“My friend! That was nerve-wracking to watch!” he says as she reaches him.

“Imagine how I felt.” Tashok laughs shakily. “Let’s head back… I sure hope the Giant understood me… Otherwise Aslfur will be really angry with me.”


	4. To Solitude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tashok and Inigo now head towards Solitude, with the intent of passing on Pactur's message.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait! I got hit with major writer's block! >_<

  
Tashok frowns at the rather measly amount given to her by Aslfur, though she supposes she should be thankful he gave her any at all considering his reluctance to believe that the giant will stop threatening the hold. Still, this will be enough to cover the rooms and food for the next week, and with some luck she’ll be able to get some sort of compensation from Thane Bryling within the next few days. 

She isn’t going to leave for Solitude just yet, however. She’s been gone for days and is at least going to spend some time with her children. Luckily Lurbuk said they were rather easy to look after, calling them a “captive audience”.

“Mama! Now that you’re back, come look at our snowman!” Sofie takes Tashok’s hand and leads her around the inn, where a rather tall snowman sits.

“Oh my! That’s such a big snowman!” Tashok grins at them. “You did it all by yourselves?”

“Almost. Agni and Cina helped too, and then we asked Falion to put the head on because we were too short to reach.” Ma’isha explains. 

“We wanted to make one before the snow starts melting.” Lucia adds. “Agni says it’s going to get warmer soon.”

As if on some comedic cue, a cold wind picks up, sending shivers all over Tashok.

“I hope she’s right.” Tashok chuckles, tightening her coat around herself. “We don’t get snow like this back in High Rock… Except maybe the mountains, but still. Never down in the harbour.”

“Mamma, it’s not cold!” Sofie laughs.

“It is to me!” Tashok defends with a laugh, shivering all the while. It’s funny how her many layers afforded to her by her armour and travel cloak can warm her up. Then again when she travels she usually isn’t standing in one spot for too long.

She also hopes the cold subsides for the sake of her burn scars. She absentmindedly rubs her hand over her knuckles, one of the many spots where her burns didn’t completely heal up. They’ve made themselves known all throughout the winter whenever she was trying to relax, especially at night. She could feel them itching and pulling, and only her oils and creams could help manage the discomfort.

With any luck, the warmer weather will provide some relief as well.

She continues to watch her children play, all the while thinking of how to bounce back from the unexpected expenses brought on by the civil war battle. There is the prospect of delivering the news of the mine to Thane Bryling, though how much this trip will be worth is unknown. Had she not explicitly told Pactur she would deliver the message, she would have dismissed the entire venture.

Ugh… Why did I have to offer? she scolds herself. I don’t want to leave them again so quickly… Maybe I can sell more potions at the market…

After some time spent ruminating, she returns to the inn, worn out from her multiple days trip and sinks into one of the nearby chairs. She ought to pay Jonna right away, but for now she simply wishes to lay down and close her eyes.

Sleep doesn’t find her — she has too much on her mind for that, but she does manage to marginally relax while she listens to the inn’s ambient noises. She hears steps grow closer, though opts to keep her eyes closed since she doesn’t know if their approaching her specifically, and she’s much too comfortable to check. She hears some shuffling with the occasional clank of tableware and comes to the conclusion that this must be either Jonna or Ingarte.

After some time she hears the inn’s door creak open and immediately recognizes her children’s rather loud entrance. She finally opens her eyes, standing up and helping them in. After hanging most of their wet clothes, mittens and boots by the fire, she makes her way to Jonna.

“Here, I think this should cover a few more days.” she hands Jonna the bag of coins received from Aslfur. 

“Is Aslfur skimming from you?” Jonna frowns. “The bounty was for twice this much… U-unless you put some aside?”

“No…” Tashok sighs. “I didn’t want to kill the Giant, so Alsfur said he’d only give me half, in case the Giant goes back on our agreement.”

“You actually talked to a Giant?” Jonna disbelieving laugh echoes through the inn. “You’re a strange one. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Skyrim is pretty set in its ways, so it’s refreshing to see someone do things differently, I guess.”

Tashok hums noncommittally, unwilling to disagree or agree. She also has more pressing matters on her mind.

“Do you know if the road to Solitude is still open?” she asks.

“Solitude?” Jonna pauses her putting bowls back on the shelf. “Should be, why? I have to warn you the inns there are more expensive than what I’ve been charging you, so going their won’t save you anything.”

“Oh, no, it’s… Only Inigo and I will go. The man who oversees the mine nearby wants me to tell Thane Bryling the shipment is gonna be late. Says I might get compensation.”

“Might?” Jonna raises an eyebrow.

“Said he couldn’t guarantee it, but that Thane Bryling probably would give me something for the trouble. But he also said she might be angry? Ugh… Either way I’m not looking forward to it.”

“I’ll say, going to meet a Thane is a pretty big deal.”

“It is?” Tashok frowns in confusion. She was under the impression becoming a thane was rather easy. All it takes is for the Jarl to name you, no?

“Thanes are well respected, local heroes and all.”

Tashok frowns, confused. Definitely not in her experience.

“So when are you leaving?” Jonna’s voice brings her back from her thoughts.

“I… uh…” Tashok hesitates, not having given her departure much thought. “A day or two, maybe? I don’t want to leave the kids right away but I also don’t want to wait too long.”

“Well, either way, I was thinking… Maybe we could come to an agreement.” 

“Mh?”

“I know I already told you I don’t mind you paying half of what you owe me now and the rest when you leave, but…”

“I’m going to pay you! I’m not letting you miss out on that much gold.” Tashok cuts her off.

“I won’t. Calm down and let me finish.”

“Sorry.” Tashok looks sheepish.

“It’s fine. No matter. What I was going to say is, pay me what you can when you leave, even if you still owe me some. Gather more money from home, you’ll save much faster that way. And pay me next time you stop by or send payments with a courier.”

Tashok wants to accept right away, that would indeed be the best and least stressful way to pay Jonna, still…

“But how do you know I’ll pay you back?” Tashok counters. “That seems risky.”

Jonna lets out a loud laugh, leaning against the counter for a few seconds before looking at Tashok with an amused smile.

“And this is why I trust you to pay it back.” she says before turning her attention to tonight’s stew, leaving Tashok unable to protest any further.

Despite her mental voice telling her she doesn’t deserve this kind gesture, this offer does leave her much less anxious than she was before. The worry lifted from her mind, Tashok is able to enjoy her two days with her children before leaving for Solitude.

Luckily for her, the days ahead project to have agreeable weather, something which Inigo repeats every other hour or so after a contented sigh once they departed for their journey.

“It seems ideal for setting up camp.” he says.

“Yes, it is…” Tashok agrees. “I’m hoping to get to Frost River to set camp, though. Won’t be staying at the inn — if it even has one — but I’d rather be near a settlement to camp.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” 

They come upon what looks like an abandoned fort, giving it a wide berth just in case bandits have decided to claim it. Tashok finds herself happy to be travelling on foot without a mount or cart to slow them down. According to locals, bandits have become much bolder than before, attacking forts and trading caravans more frequently, thanks to the war effort calling most guards and soldiers to the front lines.

Just another reason barely anyone travels anymore. 

There’s also the issue of wildlife being rather daunting, or simply bad weather. Onmund made quite certain that Tashok knew how to spot a blizzard from a distance, as well as how to proceed should they be unlucky enough to be in one’s path.

Tashok has to stop herself from taking a break and picking the various ingredients she sees, though she does make an exception for blue and red mountain flowers.

“Just in case!” she says to Inigo as he looks on.

“Mr. Dragonfly wonders if we will arrive to Frost River before dark.” he says after a minute or so.

“Even if we don’t, it’s not that bad.” Tashok closes up her satchel. “The nights are more mild than they were before.”

“Indeed they are my friend. Do not worry, Mr. Dragonfly has a flair for the dramatic.”

As they continue their journey, Inigo begins a small improvised song at Tashok’s request to pass the time. She points out a small snowshoe hare in the distance, it’s mostly white fur clashing against the brown and slushy path but allowing it to blend with the snow as soon as it crosses to the other side.

The air becomes noticeably colder as the run begins to set, but the low winds aren’t quite as harsh as it had been high up on the mountains just a few days ago. The night is dark by the time they reach the village, their surroundings only lit by the moonlight and Tashok’s Candlelight spell. The bright light emanating from it gets the attention of two guards patrolling on the edge of the village once they get closer.

“Halt!” one of them calls out as they step towards the pair. “Who goes there?”

“Just two travellers.” Tashok says, slowing down her pace and letting the guards come to her.

“At this time of night?” the second guard crosses her arms.

“We came from Morthal, heading to Solitude. We left around mid-day, so we were hoping to stop here instead of continuing to Dragon’s Bridge.” 

“That sounds about right. Any trouble on the road?” 

“Nothing too bad, we saw some wolves about an hour ago but they kept their distance. Is there an inn here?”

“I’m afraid not, but if you’d like some protection, you can set up camp near the river, by the shore.”

“That’ll be more than good, thank you.”

The first guard motions for Tashok to continue while the second gives her simple directions towards the river’s shore, but not before parting them with a warning not to try and steal the fishermen’s gear and yield.

The pair gets to work quickly setting up their camp, working together to set the bulk of the tent, but once the hardest part is done, Tashok begins building their campfire while Inigo finishes setting up the tent.

“It’s kind of eerie, hearing the sounds of the river but barely being able to see it.” Tashok comments as she sits near the fire.

“I wonder if the river ever freezes over.” Inigo ponders. “From the sounds of it it seems like there is quite a lot of water running.” 

“It is called Frost River, it probably does. This part is where people are fishing though, and there’s a bridge nearby. Maybe it also started melting already? It is warmer lately.”

“Yes, it seems the harsh winter is coming on an end.”

“About time, if you ask me.” Tashok scoffs as she warms up her stew using magic. She’s gotten better with small flames and campfires, but she still tries to avoid getting too close to strong sources of heat.

At least now she can boil water before going into a dissociative state.

Progress?

She shakes herself out of her reverie, noticing that much like her, Inigo seems to have gotten lost in a stream of thoughts of his own.

“How are you, Inigo?” she asks gently.

“Mh?” he blinks, looking to her before smiling, albeit a bit forced. “I am alright. Perhaps we should go to bed now and get an early start for tomorrow.”  
“Good idea, I’ll feed the fire some more, then we can sleep.”

Tashok gingerly places a few thick logs into the fire as Inigo crawls into the tent and shuffles into his bedroll.

* * *

The morning comes with relative ease, the fire still burning, somewhat lowly at this point while the pair mechanically puts away the tent, having done this countless times by now. The sunlight hitting the fog around them gives off an ethereal, almost dream-like atmosphere, but the daily bustling of the nearby village breaks this illusion.

“All set?” Tashok asks Inigo as she slips on her travelling gear.

“Ready when you are my friend.” is the Khajiit’s response.

They arrive to Dragon’s bridge by mid-day, happy to see that unlike the previous settlement, this town has an inn for them to rest at. 

“There’s a lot more legionnaires here than I’ve ever seen.” Tashok notes as the two of them eat lunch in the corner of the inn. “Do you think it’s because we’re getting closer to Solitude?”

“That is a possibility.” Inigo glances around and nods at his friend’s assessment. “Or perhaps this is where they send new legionnaires for their first practical assignments after their training.”

“Well, as long as they don’t give us too much attention I don’t mind.”

Despite doing her best to stay on the right side of the law, Tashok has grown to have what she considers a healthy fear of guards and especially of legionnaires. She knows many of them can be bought, and so tries to thread carefully when surrounded.

“I do not think they will.” Inigo tries to ease her discomfort. “They are much too preoccupied with the war. Now let us finish our meal and head out, I do not fancy getting to Solitude in the middle of the night.”

“Right, yes. Good idea.” Tashok quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly, gulps down the last bits of her soup.

The travel to Solitude is uneventful, if not a bit cold thanks to the strong wind coming from the bay. Tashok finds herself casting Warmth on her gloves and coat over and over again and flicking her hood up to give her ears some much needed cover.

“Looks like we’re almost there.” Tashok smiles as she points to the city, towering over the partially frozen harbour from a distant cliff.

“And none too soon.” Inigo chuckles dryly. “I hope this Thane of yours is grateful for our efforts.” 

“I hope so too. If nothing else, at least I can sell more potions here, maybe get some High Rock imports too. I bet the market isn’t as stale as Morthal.”

The pair is accosted by a few guards as they approach the city gates, being halted and sent to the side for inspection.

“With the war happening, we need to look through your items. Make sure none of you are colluding with Stormcloaks.” one guard explains.

The inspection takes the better part of fifteen minutes, considering the large amount of things the pair was carrying, and takes about as long to pack away properly, the guards giving them the go ahead but otherwise not assisting them in putting their now strewn items back into their proper bags.

“They could at least help put away the mess they made.” Inigo grumbles.

“They never do.” Tashok shrugs, quickly packing her things. “Hopefully the inn isn’t too far, we won’t have to struggle with the bulk for too long.

They manage to make their way through the gates and into the city, sighing in relief when they notice what seems like an inn sign only a few hundred meters away. What becomes a challenge is trying to get the inn’s door open while their hands are full of bags and haphazardly packed bedrolls and their tent.

After a few seconds of “Wait. I’ll put this one down and open it, you go in and drop the bag.” and “Keep the door open for me, I’ll bring in the rest.” — the two manage to bring all their belongings into the inn. 

Inigo takes a nearby seat, watching their items while Tashok approaches the innkeeper to ask for a room and some recommendations about the local stores. Minutes later their things are nicely put away in their room as Tashok changes into some plain simple robes instead of her thick winter coat and armoured robe.

“Now that we’re inside the city walls and away from the wind, it’s actually pretty warm.” she comments at Inigo’s curious expression.

“Ah, good call, perhaps I should consider something more comfortable myself.” he nods, digging around his pack. “This will have to do.”

He pulls out a grey tunic he had picked with the help of Tashok and Lucien a few months prior, for when they were to enjoy more easygoing days. One can’t always go around wearing nothing but armour, after all.

“Let’s go see the market. I’d rather find this Thane tomorrow after a nice bit of rest, if it’s all the same to you.” Tashok says as she tightens her satchel’s straps.

“I as well, I admit I would also enjoy visiting the Bards’ College,” Inigo mentions. “If time allows of course.” 

“I’d love to make a stop. I’m sure we’ll have time tomorrow.”

She and Inigo somewhat part ways at the market, their interests in goods differing somewhat. Tashok feels a surge of hope as she’s directed to an apothecary, the promise of trading potions and even perhaps buying some fragrances for her own soaps sending a wave of excitement she had not felt in a long time.

Solitude reminds her of Wayrest and the many trips to the market she would take with Mireille and Lyrandil as a child. The reminiscing does bring about a slight tone of sadness to her heart, knowing this time is now long past, but Tashok shakes her head, deciding to focus on the present moment.

She finds herself smiling widely as Angeline, the alchemist herself, sells her a wide variety of ingredients, some in fact imported from High Rock, while buying Tashok’s entire supply of potions.

It’s with this smile that she exits the store, passing by an Altmer woman a few feet out the door.

“If you ever want to replace those old rags,” the woman says as she looks Tashok up and down. “Stop by Radiant Raiment.”

“Huh? Wh-what’s wrong with my outfit?” Tashok looks down at herself.

“Nothing at all. It's very…” the woman hesitates, clearly trying to find a diplomatic way to describe Tashok’s attire. “Nice… If you want something with a little more style, however, you should come by our shop. Radiant Raiment. We could fix you right up.”

“Oh um… Anything to suggest for meeting with Thane Bryling?”

“At the Blue Palace?! You might want to rethink that outfit then.”

“I-is that where she lives?”

Tashok finds her stomach dropping at the revelation. This Thane must be quite important. 

Oh no.

“Well, not live. But she’s there more often than anywhere else.” the Altmer purses her lips. “If you’re really going to the Blue Palace, this presents an opportunity. If you were willing to wear one of Radiant Raiment's outfits and speak to the Jarl I would not only pay you but let you keep the outfit.”

Tashok blinks. Be paid and given an outfit? That’s a rather good bargain. Good enough for Tashok to be willing to speak to nobility for, at the very least.

“Y-yeah okay…” she says in a small voice.

“Good. Come with me into the shop.”

She leads Tashok into the adjacent building, ushering her to a small fitting room where she quickly takes her measurements, before disappearing for a few minutes. The other, rather strikingly similar-looking Altmer woman behind the counter barely glancing at Tashok in the other’s absence.

“Thank you for your patience.” the other comes back, an outfit in hand. “Here’s the outfit. Try to get Elisif's opinion on it. ”

“It’s lovely.” Tashok says as she takes it in hand. “The colours are so pleasing to the eye.”

“I hope the Jarl shares your opinion. If she does mention it's from Radiant Raiment.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Tashok makes her way back to the tavern, outfit tucked under her hand, a ball forming in her throat. She’s beginning to dread tomorrow’s visit to Thane Bryling. 

She’s never felt comfortable around high nobility, aside from Isabelle, but that had turned out to be a mistake as well. 

What was the tailor thinking?! Sending an Orc to try and impress a noble…

It’s with these thoughts that she sits at the tavern’s counter and orders a bottle of mead, hoping to soothe her nerves.

“You just couldn’t stay away from me, huh?” Tashok is brought out of her reverie by Sapphire’s voice.

Tashok jolts, looking around and coming face to face with a rather smug-looking Sapphire.

“Wh- Sapphire?!” she blinks in surprise. “What are you doing in Solitude?” 

“I can travel too, you know.” Sapphire takes a seat near her. “It doesn’t hurt to see different sights.”

“You better not be causing trouble.” Tashok pouts a bit, despite being happy for the distraction of… A friend? They’re both not quite there and much more than that.

Sapphire chuckles lowly as she beckons the bartender her way. “You know I am…”

“I’m serious! If I see you trying to steal or threaten someone, I’m stepping in.” Tashok huffs.

“Still hanging on to that Shadr thing, huh? Look, I get it, it was a pretty shift thing to do, and in hindsight I think I got a bit too ambitious, but that’s just how things go.”

Tashok’s resolve doesn’t waiver as she frowns at Sapphire, her ears twitching in frustration. Sapphire looks at her and sighs dramatically, realizing she can’t circumvent her way around Tashok’s weariness.

“Don’t worry, we’re just doing some recon here. Asking questions. No threatening unless they do it first.” Sapphire concedes.

“That’s better.” Tashok mumbles before eating a spoonful of stew. “Wait - we? You better not be about to drag me into something. I’m really busy!”

“You sure look like you’ve got a lot on your mind… I could help you with that…” Sapphire leans in with a wide smile, gently running a finger against Tashok’s shoulder.

Tashok nearly chokes on her mead, blood rushing to her cheeks and ears, the latter of which begin to flap as she becomes flustered.

“Sapphire!” she looks to the thief, whose grin becomes wider. “I don’t think you can help me out… I have to go to the Blue Palace tomorrow and the nerves are killing me.”

Tashok buries her face in her hands, contemplating the dread of having to speak to any sort of nobility.

“The more you talk the more I can see how I can help you.” Sapphire cocks her head to the side, still smiling.

Tashok peeks up from her hands at her, still blushing but looking mildly interested.

“You’re staying here at the Winking Skeever?” she asks.

“Where else?” Sapphire chuckles. “So my room or your room?”

“Yours, I’m sharing mine with Inigo. He tends to come back late but I still don’t want him to walk in on us.”

“Sounds perfe- Oh wait hold on.” Sapphire leans over her, looking past at a hooded figure sitting further down at the bar. “Hey Red!”

The figure, who was clearly lost in thought, jumps at being called and turns towards Sapphire, revealing a Breton woman with blood-red hair poking from under her dark hood.

“Hm?” she hums, looking tired, and preoccupied.

“Think you can hang out of the room for a good chunk of the evening? I’ve got a friend here I’d like to take to our room..” Sapphire winks.

The red haired woman looks confused for a moment, before looking flushed and embarrassed. 

“Of course!” she says quickly. “I’ll stay in another room. Very far away from yours. Promise.”

"I'm so sorry I don't mean to inconvenience you!” Tashok becomes equally flustered. “Really Sapphire we can't just kick your... partner? We can't just kick her out of the room!”

“It’s fine, you’re not. _I’m_ kicking me out of the room.” the redhead insists. “I need some wine…”

“Here’s some septims.” Sapphire sends a few coins clinking on the counter. “You can have some wine to keep you company while I… Take care of mine…”

She punctuates the last phrase by looking over to Tashok with a smirk.

“Let’s just go…” Tashok hides her face in her hand as Sapphire leads her away by the other, up the steps of the inn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :D


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